Structural support for roofs and floors



Nov. 13, 1951 E. c. SHUMAN 2,574,667

STRUCTURAL SUPPORT FOR ROOFS AND FLOORS Filed May 23, 1947 Patented Nov.13, 1951 UNITED STATES .PATENT OFFICE STRUCTURAL SUPPORT FOR ROOFS ANDFLOORS Everett 0. Shuman, Haddonfield, N. J., assignor to Owens-IllinoisGlass Company, a corporation of Ohio Application May 23, 1947, SerialNo. 750,029

ing materials. The usual supporting bars or members commercially usedfor such purpose are heavy, uneconomical and otherwise unsuited for suchstructures. A feature of the present invention consists in providing asub-purlin which, while of adequate strength and rigidity, is of suchlight weight per unit of length that mechanical handling is notnecessary for usual applications.

A further object of the invention is to provide a structural member ofthe character indicated made of sheet metal and of a form adapted to beshaped from standard metal sheets.

A further object is to obtain an efficient distribution of the steel orsheet material having a high section modulus per unit of weight,combined with a low height.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sub-purlin adapted tobe handled with ease, which will not crush in mechanical handling andwhich will not roll.

A further object is to provide a tile supporting structure whichprojects a comparatively short distance above the base or loadingsurface, thereby obtaining low thermal conductivity above the loadingsurface.

A further object attained by such construction consists in reducing to aminimum the tendency for moisture condensation in a high humidity.

A further object of the invention is to provide a supporting structureof the character indicated which is shaped and designed to serve as aconduit.

A further object of the invention is to provide a structure of thecharacter indicated formed of sheet metal shaped to provide a web ofdouble thickness having the web members welded at intervals in order toincrease the rigidity of the structure and fortify it against bending orbuckling when subjected to loading and lateral strains.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional elevation of a portion of a structureembodying my invention; and

4 Claims. (01. 189-34) Fig. 2 is a part-sectional end elevation, partsbeing'broken away, of a modified form of rail or sub-purlin.

Referring to Fig. 1, I have shown a structure 9 built of tiles It!supported on rails or sub-purlins II. The structure 9 may be the same asillustrated and described in my co-pending application, S. N. 742,291,filed April 18, 1947, Structural Supporting Members for Roofs andFloors, now

abandoned.

In the present invention, the sub-purlins II maybe supported in theusual manner by purlins as shown for example, in said co-pendingapplication.

The body of the sub-purlin or rail I I as shown in Fig. 1, is in theform of a tube, rectangular in cross section, being substantially squarewith the corners I2 slightly rounded. It comprise a horizontal base I3,vertical sides I4, and a top including substantially horizontalsupporting members I5 providing loading surfaces on which the ends ofthe tiles rest. The sub-purlin may be formed of standard plates of sheetmetal rolled or bent into the shape illustrated.

Projecting upwardly from the top members I5 and extending lengthwise ofthe rail, are web portions I6 having their inner faces abutting to forma double ply anchorage web. The web is formed along its upper edge withoutwardly and downwardly turned marginal flange portions H. Thesub-purlins may be of usual or any desired length and at intervals alongthe web I6, the two web members are rigidly and securely united as byspot welding I B.

The tiles I0, which may be made of calcium silicate or otherlight-Weight material, may be arranged in rows between the rails and aredirectly supported on the top or flange portions I5. The adjacent endsof the tiles are spaced a short distance apart with spaces between theweb I6 and the ends of the tiles. The space between the tiles is filledwith grout 20 or a slurry of cementitious material which sets or hardensto form a rigid structure. The material 2!] which is of low thermalconductivity provides good heat insulation and counteracts the tendencyto moisture condensation due to temperature differential between themetal structure and the atmosphere at the surface of the tile. The webI6 with its flange or hook portion I! being embedded in the material 20,provides an anchor by which the tiles are securely held against beinglifted out of place by wind storms or other forces. The body of the railor sub-purlin, being hollow, is adapted to serve as a conduit fordrainage or other purposes.

Fig. 2 illustrates a modified form of the subpurlin in which therectangular body is of substantially less depth than width, the sidewalls ll being of substantially less height than the width of the baseI3. The upper marginal portions H of the web [6 are formed by bendingsuch marginal portions downward and then back on themselves.

Modification may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of myinvention.

I claim:

1. A rail adapted to form a sub-'pu'rlinin .a building structure, saidrail consisting of a single sheet of metal bent to form a rectangularhollow body comprising a horizontal bottom, vertical sides and ahorizontal top, the top consisting of sections formed by bending thesheet naterial inwardly at the upper edges of said sides, the railincluding a web extending lengthwise thereof midway between said sid sand formed by bending the sheet material upwardly at the middle of saidtop, the web consisting of fiat vertical sections having their innerfaces in contact throughout to provide a two-ply web, the rail includingupper marginal portions extended outwardly from the upper edges of saidflat vertical sections to form an anchor.

2. The rail defined in claim 1 wherein .the plies of said web arespot-welded together at intervals along the web.

3. A rail adapted to form a sub-purlin in a building structure, saidrail consisting of a single sheet of metal comprising an intermediateportion bent to form a tubular body substantially rectangular in crosssection and comprising a flat horizontal bottom, vertical sides andhorirectangular in cross section and comprising a 1 flat horizontalbottom, vertical sides and horizontal top portions inturned from thesides, and integral web portions extending vertically upward from theinner edges of said inturned portions and having their inner faces incontact to form a two-ply web and terminating in outwardly turnedmarginal portions extending along the upper edge of the web andprojecting outwardly beyond the web, the plies of said web beingspotwelded together at intervals along the web.

EVERETT C. SHUMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,865,131 Olsen June 28, 19321,947,401 Birdsey Feb. 13, 19:34 1,971,160 Lenke Aug. 21, 1934 2,309,420Taylor Jan. 26, 1943

